


Ten Years Apart

by Descended_from_Hufflepuffs



Series: Flower Tattoo Bois [3]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:47:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24524089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Descended_from_Hufflepuffs/pseuds/Descended_from_Hufflepuffs
Summary: Gil ponders how his relationship with Malcolm has changed
Relationships: Gil Arroyo & Malcolm Bright, mentioned Gil Arroyo/Jackie Arroyo
Series: Flower Tattoo Bois [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762771
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	Ten Years Apart

_ "I'm sorry Officer, I honestly don't know who could've made that call. Can I offer you a cup of tea for your trouble." _

_ "It's really no trouble Dr. Whitly." _

_ "Oh, I insist. And call me Martin." _

_ "....Alright." _

_ The entryway was big. The house was big. Way too big in Gil's opinion but he didn't get paid enough to say that sort of thing. _

_ One advantage to the big space was the echo. The kind of echo that told you a scared little kid was coming to talk to you. "What's up, kid?" _

_ "You should draw your gun." _

_ "...What?" _

_ "My father. He's going to kill you." _

_ He had to be joking, right? Just like that call was a prank. He was probably just looking for a reason to stay up later. _

_ "There's a girl. Downstairs. In a box. You need to save her." _

_ Five little words that changed his night. Changed his life. _

_ Flashing lights and sirens came from outside and warred with the flashing cameras and murmured investigations inside. Gil made a call based on the rushed accusations of the son of one of the most famous surgeons in New York. Turns out it was a good call. The Surgeon had been caught and the house was being searched from top to bottom for any evidence. _

_ And if the familiar pitter-patter of slippers was anything to go by, the NYPD wasn't the only one searching. "You shouldn't be down here kid." _

_ "Did you find the girl?" _

_ "No, we didn't find the girl." How could one kid look so disappointed? "But we found other things. You saved a lot of people tonight. You’re a real hero." _

The alarm clock stopped that particular visit to the past and Gil didn't entirely hate it for that. As much as he hates waking up early, he didn't really need a trip down memory lane. Of course, he knew why that night was on his mind. Seeing Malcolm again had sparked a lot of memories, including the fact that he almost died at the hands of a charming serial killer.

Still, it wasn’t all bad. Knowing that Malcolm was doing well always put him at ease, even if those moments were hard to come by. It felt good to see him again after all these years. This would also be the first time in years that he didn't eat lunch at the shop counter, which was a more than welcome change of pace. Of course, that meant he'd have to spend the rest of his afternoon letting Aristo be in the shop since he hated being in his carrier so much. But it would be worth it, even if he would have to wrangle with the leash.

"I'm going out for lunch today," he commented while his breakfast cooked. "I know you hate closing the shop at lunch but you've always made an exception for Malcolm before."

He'd never considered himself a spiritual man until Jackie died. It made him feel a little better to think she might be hanging around in spirit. It was also more fun than talking to the cats.

“I hope he’s really okay and not covering it up. He’s really good at that….” He shuddered while his coffee brewed.  _ That  _ was a night he’d rather forget. 

Despite the distance that had grown between them since Malcolm was sent off to boarding school, Gil felt like it'd just been yesterday when he got that fateful call. From what he could see, Malcolm hadn't changed much aside from being somewhat taller, a little more toned, and a little more confident. He'd seen hints of ink from under his shirt and he idly wondered what else had changed. Time had been kind to him, hopefully mentally as well as physically.

He mulled over the impending meeting while he finished getting ready for the day. He knew Malcolm likely knew the area since he was walking around at night and was not stupid. Gil, unfortunately, didn't know many good places to eat at besides the corner diner he and Malcolm frequented during their stakeouts but a little nostalgia was good for the soul. It might encourage them both to open up a bit and really bond again.

He couldn't help but feel like he was a little too excited for their lunch. After all, it was just two friends getting together to share a meal. Sure, he'd missed the kid a lot over the years and always wished they had more than the occasional card and Christmas present. Sure, he still felt a little guilty about not keeping better tabs on him during that time. Sure, Malcolm was a very attractive man. But none of that should matter, right? They're just two regular guys going for lunch.

He could feel Jackie rolling her eyes even if he couldn't see it. "Maybe we should keep having lunches. It was so hard to keep up over the phone…." 

Wherever that thought was going was interrupted by Aristo dashing downstairs to the shop ahead of him.  _ I swear this cat will be the death of me…. _

Oh, well. At least with him running around time would pass a little quicker.


End file.
